Sports Briefly

Posted: March 23, 2011 - 11:14pm

SAN FRANCISCO

Barry Bonds looked at the witness stand with a blank expression as a childhood friend and former business partner described how baseball’s biggest star walked into the master bedroom at his spring training home along with trainer Greg Anderson, who had a syringe with a needle.

A few minutes later, Bonds and Anderson walked out.

Steve Hoskins testified in federal court Wednesday that he never saw Anderson inject Bonds. The question for the jury will be whether Hoskins’ description, which the defense began to challenge later in the day, is a path toward convicting Bonds of lying when he told a grand jury seven years ago he never knowingly took steroids.

KANSAS CITY, Mo.

Switching from football to soccer won’t be easy for Chad Ochocinco, if it happens at all.

Locked out of his day job, Ochocinco opened a four-day tryout with Sporting Kansas City on Wednesday and by the end of his first day with the Major League Soccer team the star receiver for the Cincinnati Bengals was panting for breath.

“Exactly what I expected,” the six-time Pro Bowler explained. “I would be a little winded being that I haven’t ran at this pace or this level since the end of our season of football. It was fun. I didn’t expect to come in here and be Superman.”

LONDON

Japan is still considering a bid to host the 2020 Olympics despite the triple blow caused by the earthquake, tsunami and nuclear radiation crisis, a senior national Olympic committee official said.

The Japanese Olympic Committee said it was “very surprised” at the recent comments made by Italian IOC member Mario Pescante, who said he was told by Japan’s ambassador in Rome that Japan had decided not to pursue a bid.

A committee official said it will hold a strategy meeting next Tuesday and make a final decision on whether to bid in July.